Nonlinear Finite-Element Analysis for Predicting the Behavior of Concrete Squat Walls Reinforced with GFRP Bars

The recent experimental results for squat walls reinforced entirely with glass-fiber-reinforced-polymer (GFRP) bars have demonstrated their feasibility in resisting lateral loads and strongly suggest the need for a comprehensive analysis to show the effect of important parameters on squat-wall response. Nonlinear finite-element analysis (FEA) was used to perform an in-depth investigation to highlight the effect of the studied parameters. The FEA response was compared to the experimental results for the tested GFRP-reinforced squat walls in terms of crack patterns, failure modes, and load-lateral displacement hysteretic response. The results demonstrated that the simulation methods were stable and compliant, yielding a reasonable prediction of wall response. A comprehensive parametric study, including the effect of axial load ratio and vertical web reinforcement on squat-wall response, was performed. The results showed that axial load had a variable impact on ultimate load capacity as a function of failure modes. In contrast, while vertical web reinforcement was found to marginally enhance the ultimate shear strength, such reinforcement was shown to be necessary for cracks recovery between load reversals. Both increased axial load and vertical web reinforcement were shown to adversely affect wall deformability.